Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Nice Work If You Can Get It

There's still a few days for procrastinating poets to apply for the Robert Frost Fellowship in Poetry at Middlebury College. The selected poet will reside in Robert Frost's farmhouse in Ripton, Vermont, teach two courses and advise undergraduate poetry projects during the academic year, and teach one course during the summer. Newly-employed poets receive a 3-year renewable contract. Review of applications will begin November 21, and will end when the position is filled. More info about the fellowship here.


A poem from Mr. Frost for you ambitious types.

On Looking Up by Chance at the Constellations

You'll wait a long, long time for anything much
To happen in heaven beyond the floats of cloud
And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves.
The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch,
Nor strike out fire from each other nor crash out loud.
The planets seem to interfere in their curves
But nothing ever happens, no harm is done.
We may as well go patiently on with our life,
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.
It is true the longest drouth will end in rain,
The longest peace in China will end in strife.
Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake
In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break
On his particular time and personal sight.
That calm seems certainly safe to last to-night.

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